pic: AndyMark Mecanums

[Rohith Surampudi]

::jaw drops::

how much do these run for?

[Ryan Foley]

See this thread for more discussion on these wheels.

Or, go directly to Andy Baker's post

[sanddrag]

Wow, impressive. I can't picture how all those tabs would be precisely bent. Looks kind of like looking inside a jet engine.

[Kyle Love]

There is a beast of a "mold" (I do not know the technical term for it) used to bend the tabs the same each time. I love these wheels, they are great to just have fun with and could be valuable in future games where maneuverability is key.

[Joe_Widen]

I'm pretty sure AndyMark uses a press. It would be the easiest and most efficient way to produce 1000+ wheels.

[Jonathan Norris]

So where can I buy some .

[Rohith Surampudi]

they arent on the website yet, but here

Huzah for AndyMark

[bigboi146]

I dont get them. Can you use them in an omni drive. they look awsome though.

[Qbranch]

OK here's something that has bugged me for years.

can someone verify that:

1. The wheels for holonomic drive are called "Mecanum" wheels.
2. The drive system itself is called "holonomic drive"
3. The drive system is not called "Mecanum drive"

PM me or just reply here. Thanks.

-Q

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Qbranch

OK here's something that has bugged me for years.

can someone verify that:

1. The wheels for holonomic drive are called "Mecanum" wheels.
2. The drive system itself is called "holonomic drive"
3. The drive system is not called "Mecanum drive"

PM me or just reply here. Thanks.

-Q

My understanding is that 'holonomic' means 'able to translate and rotate simultaneously'. Holonomic drive can be implemented using mecanum wheels or omniwheels.

[ahecht]

These look like a promising start if the price makes them affordable enough. However, in their current incarnation I do see a few problems. First, unless you want to thumpthumpthump down the field, I hope the final rollers are a bit rounder than that. Also, these wheels are going to take incredible side loads, so I hope those plates are steel (I would assume so, since these guys seem to know what they are doing).

[sanddrag]

I wouldn't be surpised if the production wheels remain relatively unchanged. I have a feeling those plates are quite strong due to the manner in which those tabs are bent. And for the rollers, I have a feeling those edges may have some traction enhancing properties. Just guesses though.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by ahecht

These look like a promising start if the price makes them affordable enough. However, in their current incarnation I do see a few problems. First, unless you want to thumpthumpthump down the field, I hope the final rollers are a bit rounder than that. Also, these wheels are going to take incredible side loads, so I hope those plates are steel (I would assume so, since these guys seem to know what they are doing).

I saw them in Atlanta, and they felt pretty solid to me (at least for prototypes). I've seen a lot of things made from 1/8" aluminum, and it seems to hold up to plenty of abuse, especially once you start putting some bends in there. They were a bit heavier than, say, IFI wheels might be, but welcome to the world of mecanum wheels.

As I have yet to work with mecanum drive, I'd have to leave judgment on the rollers to The People That Know What They Are Doing(tm).

[Qbranch]

Have you all seen the vehicles that AIRTRAX is making holonomic?

I was amazed that they figured out how to do holonomic drive for forklifts and scissor lifts.

Just something that caught my interest.

-Q

[ahecht]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I saw them in Atlanta, and they felt pretty solid to me (at least for prototypes). I've seen a lot of things made from 1/8" aluminum, and it seems to hold up to plenty of abuse, especially once you start putting some bends in there.

When 190 made our mecanum wheel, we originally had our rollers supported by 1/8" aluminum tabs, but we found that lose quickly bent when supporting a 130 pound robot making rapid movements. We switched to 1/8" steel, and while those were much better, we still had the occasional bent tab.